Baldur's Gate 3 had been in early access for quite some time allowing players to experience many of the classes Larian Studios had available for players before the full game was released. Now that players are finally able to play the full version of Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) some may be wondering what the easiest classes are to learn from the twelve available.

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Each class has a role that it plays with some being easier to understand than others; not to forget mentioning how players can even multiclass if they so wish in the future. No matter if the player wishes to be a spellcaster or purely melee, these are by far the most beginner-friendly classes a player can choose.

Updated on March 29, 2024, by Megan Smith: Baldur's Gate 3 is an incredibly popular RPG experience that has, since its release in 2023, won countless awards. In recent news, Larian Studios announced that the game will, unfortunately, not be receiving any DLC. With no new expansion content to be expected for the title. This, therefore, also means that players shouldn't be expecting any new classes. Therefore, those who have planned to start the game may be wondering what the best starting class is in Baldur's Gate 3. This article contains a mix of both magic and melee classes, so players can decide what is Baldur's Gate 3's best starting class.

10 Bard

Brilliant Support Spellcaster

• College of Lore
• College of Valour
• College of Swords

Bards are a brilliant mix of magic and melee for players who are hoping to try out the best of both worlds. They are also incredible talkers and therefore a player who wishes to be a whiz at almost every dialogue option they choose should definitely select Bard as their main class.

When selecting a subclass for the Bard it may become a little daunting especially as the three subclasses may at first seem quite similar. However, for players to keep their first run mostly stress-free the College of Lore is a great idea, since this class gives players more spells that allow the player to keep their distance when the fight becomes intense.

9 Cleric

A Deadly Healer Or Defender

• Life Domain
• Light Domain
• Trickery Domain
• Knowledge Domain
• Nature Domain
• Tempest Domain
• War Domain

The Cleric is by far one of the easiest spellcasters for the player to learn, especially those that decide the Life Domain. These Clerics can support alongside their tanks or even defend the party themselves due to being proficient in heavy armor.

With a mix of melee skills and spells, Clerics may not be doing the most damage, but they can certainly defend themselves if needed. There are plenty of other subclasses, better known as Domains, for a player to decide from that will shape how the Cleric is used in battle, though it remains one of the easiest for beginners.

8 Paladin

A Cleric But Even Stronger

• Oath of Devotion
• Oath of the Ancients
• Oath of Vengeance
• Oathbreaker

Players who would rather protect their party from the onslaught of hits from enemies instead of supporting from behind should look no further than the class of Paladin. This class is brilliant for players who wish to play the typical knight-like character who only wishes to do good in the world. Besides, their alignment, Paladins have an incredible constitution and defense that will keep the player standing even during the most difficult of battles.

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They also have a chance to gather a couple of spells though this is nowhere near as many as any actual spellcaster which leaves the player to focus on other things. With players having the chance to break their oath alongside the three other subclasses available the greatest for beginners is the Oath of Vengeance; it's nearly impossible to break this oath with plenty of good options to make the player's Paladin more versatile.

7 Druid

Powerful Spellcasters & Shapeshifters

• Circle of the Moon
• Circle of the Land
• Circle of the Spores

Druid was the last class to be added to early access before the full release of Baldur's Gate 3. This gave players a chance to experiment with the powers given to them by nature before the full release of the title. With a mix of melee and magic in the class, there is plenty of versatility playing as a Druid.

Taking a subclass like Circle of the Moon will allow a player to fight from the front lines when using Wild Shape to become a bear. Meanwhile, a different subclass is likely to allow a player to support from the back. When considering what would be best for a player who has only just started their adventure in Baldur's Gate 3, Circle of the Moon is by far the best choice.

6 Monk

Agile Heavy Hitters

• Way of the Open Hand
• Way of Shadow
• Way of the Four Elements

Monks are a class from Dungeons and Dragons that many players felt didn't have much power to them in the tabletop RPG. Thankfully, Larian has taken these concerns and turned the Monk into an incredible class that many beginners of Baldur's Gate 3 will fall in love with.

As a predominantly melee-based class, instead of spell slots players can instead use Ki points to activate certain abilities that can only be used by that class. While one of the subclasses has something that mimics spells the best subclass for beginners is Way of the Open Hand, for its versatile melee options.

5 Rogue

Sneaky Heavy Hitters

• Thief
• Arcane Trickster
• Assassin

As the sneakiest class in the game, it is no surprise to see how extremely overpowered it can be to become a rogue. Being able to simply disengage from combat at any point to make their escape or the lethality of sneak attacks, makes the rogue a tempting choice for any player.

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They also don't have any spells which adds another element of simplicity unless a player wishes to choose the subclass of Arcane Trickster which adds a magical element to the Rogue combat. Players who want more than simply running into a battle will enjoy the solo nature of a rogue as they scout ahead of the team to capture the element of surprise before starting the proper fight. While Arcane Trickster is a brilliant option for Rogues that want to use magic a great option for beginners is the Thief subclass, which allows the player to use two bonus actions.

4 Ranger

Perfect Ranged Forces

• Beast Master
• Hunter
• Gloom Stalker

In the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, which Baldur's Gate 3 heavily takes inspiration from, Ranger hasn't been favored by many players. However, Larian Studios has taken it upon themselves to turn this forgotten class into something far more entertaining.

Ranged combat can be crucial to surviving in Baldur's Gate 3 as many of the foes the players face will hit hard, and therefore it's safer to deal with them from a distance. Besides this, the class also has the subclass of Beast Master that allows players to summon an animal companion to protect them, adding more members to the party means more defense. Beast Master is the most beginner-friendly subclass for Rangers as it simply gives the player an extra animal friend to control.

3 Barbarian

The Perfect Tank

• Berserker
• Wildheart
• Wild Magic

Another great melee predominant class must be the Barbarian. These are the go-to tanks of Dungeons and Dragons, and they continue to be this way in Baldur's Gate 3. If players don't wish to recruit Karlach to be their Barbarian, they can instead take on this role.

Fueled by their rage, players can use their anger in different ways to better themselves on the battlefield, especially when considering the three subclasses available that the player can experiment with. As a Barbarian, the player will also always be at the center of the battle, protecting those around them. All three of the Barbarian subclasses are easy for a player to learn but the best is Berserker for its extreme melee focus.

2 Warlock

Great Up-Close & From Afar

• The Fiend
• The Great Old One
• Archfey

Warlock has been seen as one of the most favored classes available to players in not only the early access of the title but also the full version of Baldur's Gate 3. It is arguably more complex than many of the other classes in the game, though a persistent beginner of the RPG is sure to have some enjoyment with the class.

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Each subclass gives the player a different patron that the player can rely upon at different points of the game to help them. Besides this, Warlock is another class that can be a brilliant mix of melee and magic if they take the Pact of the Blade. The Fiend is a vital pick for any Warlock as the passives alongside its active skills can keep the player alive for longer.

1 Fighter

Simple Tank & Damage Dealer

• Battle Master
• Eldritch Knight
• Champion

Out of all the classes available in the full version of Baldur's Gate 3, the best class for beginners of the CRPG must be the Fighter class. This is a predominant melee class which means players can worry about spells for one less character.

Like the Barbarian, this class is also the center of battle which means a player shall always feel as if they play an active role in dealing with enemies. With a subclass like Battle Master, players won't only be attacking more than once a turn but can also experiment with a wide variety of weapons to find out what they're comfortable with.

Baldur's Gate 3

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Genre(s)

RPG